Gluten is EVERYWHERE

Today is definitely a pity party day, room for one only. Today it's my time to whine and vent my frustrations about the food in this country. I am sick and tired of having to be so careful about everything I eat! I've been gluten free for six weeks, and while I NEVER want to eat gluten again, I am tired about having to constantly read labels or think about where I can go that I can find gluten free options because while I love to cook, I don't want to have to spend all my time doing that. I realize that the honeymoon stage of the gluten free diet is now over and hat other people who have problems eating gluten have all gone through this. This all stems from my desire to go out and eat a hamburger. Yep. A good ol'-fashioned American hamburger. On a sesame bun. The only problem is if I eat even a part of the bun, it'll make me violently sick. My poor boyfriend and mom can attest to this. They are the ones who have seen the immediate effects of me being "glutenated." About 30 minutes to an hour after ingesting gluten, I get violently nauseous and then have a limited amount of time to get to the nearest flat object so I can lay down and curl up in the fetal position for a long time. The first hour after the attack starts, I'm typically in tears because I'm in THAT much pain. After the initial pain lessons, I can begin to think again. For the rest of that day and until the glutinous object leaves my system, I still have pain, but it becomes easier and easier to cope with. So don't think that I ever want to eat gluten again. (Each one of these attacks has been an accidental ingestion of gluten and not a conscious decision on my part.) I can deal with these attacks. What I don't want to accept is the lack of gluten free options out there that don't cost an arm and a leg. Try going up and down your regular grocery store aisles and look at the number of products out there that do not contain "wheat, malted. . . , rye, barley, etc." I think you'll be surprised that wheat seems to be in EVERYTHING. It's even added to teas sometimes! It's not necessarily that I want these packaged chemical shit storms, but I only want the option of eating them now because they are the forbidden fruit. Going gluten free can have some great health benefits, don't get me wrong. I have found thanks to this that I love kale, spaghetti squash, collard greens, and the list goes on and on. It's just frustrating to have to always have a game plan every time I go out so I can still eat the foods I like to enjoy as treats without always wondering if it's been cross contaminated. I know this stage will definitley pass as I learn to accept and see the beauty of a gluten free life. Just getting through it is going to be hard for a while. That's why I consider myself blessed beyond measure to have my boyfriend who, whenever something goes wrong always says "We'll get through this," my mom who is so protective of my health, and my friends who are so understanding of this situation and who are there for me whenever I need them. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. You are the people who make me rich beyond my wildest dreams.